Still too little action against state looters

“THE WHEELS of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine” goes the quote.

But we need the wheels to start turning faster to turn back the tide against rampant corruption, and to recoup some of the billions looted from the state.

National Public Prosecutions director Shamila Batohi seems to think there is some momentum, at least as far as municipal corruption goes.

Addressing the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs this week, she said they had nine cases emanating from Special Investigative Unit (SIU) investigations – not all of which related to municipalities – before the courts in October last year, but now had 21 cases in courts relating to municipalities alone.

According to Batohi, this was a clear indication of significant progress occasioned by the National Prosecuting Authority’s new processes and systems. “There’s a lot of movement in this space, where months ago there wasn’t,” she said, announcing that 64 SIU cases concerned municipalities.

Batohi took over as NPA head with much promise of turning the previously compromised institution around, but her performance has been lukewarm in the ensuing months.

A separate report presented by the SIU shows that of the 32 local government corruption investigations that they have concluded since 2002, there have only been 13 convictions and R55 million recovered.

With all due respect to Batohi – and taking into consideration the “huge, huge challenges” she undoubtedly faces – this is far too little, and far too slow in relation to the billions that have been, and continue to be, stolen at municipal level.

It is said that you have to spend money to earn money.

It was therefore comforting to hear Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announce an additional R2.4 billion in the budget for the NPA, SIU and Hawks to bolster their efforts at combating corruption.

The additional money would pay for the appointment of 800 investigators and 277 prosecutors, who are expected to help clear the backlog of cases. With the cash injection announced last week, we expect there to be significant movement in the numbers Batohi presents the next time she reports to Parliament, especially where these concern asset forfeitures.